(by 15 people)
Eichlers were affordable mid-century modern homes designed to be accessible by the masses. Developed by Joseph Eichler, and designed by contemporary architects such as Quincy Jones, these homes redefined what was possible in suburbia. Today, they are still stunningly beautiful, and even more modern for their age.
This site includes links to photos, Eichler enthusiast & resource sites, books on Amazon, and other Eichler / modern home swag.
Welcome to Eichler Homes
Table of Contents
Welcome to Eichler Homes. Use this table of contents to see what's here and skip ahead to what you're looking for.
- Bright and Shiny Eichlers
- Individual Eichlers, personal stories, and other shiny things
- Eichlers on Film
- Lights! Camera! Eichlers!
- Eichler Homes in the News
- Recent articles on Eichler Homes
- Eichlers in Northern California
- San Francisco Bay Area Eichler neighborhoods and resources
- Eichlers in Southern California
- Southern California Eichler neighborhoods and resources
- Eichler Chat
- Bulletin boards, chat rooms, and online communities
- Buying Eichler
- Stuff for you and your Eichler
- Other Modern Homes links
- Cliff Mays, Rummers, and other modern homes.
- Eichler Landscaping
- Beautiful yards around beautiful homes
- The Eichler Library
- Eichler research, history, etc.
- Eichlers in New York?
- The Lost Eichlers of New York
Eichler Feedback
Tell me what you think, thanks! -thisislarry
Like this lens? Want to share your feedback, or just give a thumbs up? Be the first to submit a blurb!
Photos from Flickr
Eichlers appearing in snaps
Still can't figure out how to pull off the Eichler public group (help?) Too bad. Here are some links to specific eichler photos. Try the Eichler group on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/eichler/
Bright & Shiny Eichlers
individual Eichlers, personal stories, and other shiny things
- twenty6 oak mountain
- drool drool drool! A beautiful 'interactive brochure' for this drop-deag gorgeous Eichler in Lucas Valley
- Brown Eichler
- This Palo Alto Eichler belongs to Tim Brown, the CEO of IDEO
- Brisco Eichler: 2006 Interior Remodel
- The well-documented Brisco house is remodelling! "We spent eight months planning a major interior remodel which was begun in May 2006". Track the progress here.
- Borsellino / Kafka Eichler
- in Willow Glen
- Bay Area Eichler on Flickr
- A Flickr tour of a nice unidentified Bay Area Eichler
- Brisco Eichler
- The stunningly gorgeous Brisco residence. "View photos of our house, learn more about The Highlands Eichler development where we live, read original Eichler sales brochures used in The Highlands, or view vintage magazine articles about Eichler homes."
- Balboa Highlands Eichler
- "wherein B, N and J settle into thier MCM dreamhouse and occasionally post the evidence with commentary."
- Costa Eichler
- Some great 'after' shots of an Eichler in sunnyvale. Go to the main menu for photos of 'before' and 'during'
- Shuhmacher Eichler
- In Sunnyvale
- Saving Cliff May
- Wherein Joe B., long time Eichler fan, chronicles his adventures with an Oregon Cliff May home
- Our Eichler
- Our humble abode, as a slideshow. Compare and contrast to 26 Oak Mountain :).
- Eichlers @ Tract Housing
- Beautiful pics of some LA area Eichlers.
- Horsley House
- Custom 1950 house by Eichler architect Bob Anshen
- casas: Eichler de Nuevo
- Great pics of an Eichler, en espanol!
- They like Eich (Slideshow)
- Nice slideshow from this article in the OC Register.
- The Bonnie Brae Project
- A blog on the ongoing remodel of a Eichler-Style Rummer in Beaverton, OR
- Pang Eichler
- Circa 2000. Beautiful photos of a well lived in Eichler in Sunnyvale
- Eichler Ideas & Picture Gallery
- Great detail pics: "for renovating and remodeling an Eichler or other mid-century modern home."
- Mini Eichler in Walnut Creek
- As captured on thisislarry: "Mini" 5 room Eichler home (487 sq feet) located in desirable Walnut Creek neighborhood.
- Orange County Eichler
- "Alex's Eichler Home Orange CA" Check out the mahogony walls!
- Larry Underhill Photography: Architecture
- A few nice photos of socal Eichlers by LA photog Larry Underhill
- Eichler Photos from Chez Greene
- Photos of Fairglen, by Michael Greene
Eichler Homes in the News
recent articles on Eichler Homes
- Curbed SF: Mocking Modernism: The Eichler Taliban Strikes Back
- San Francisco Curbed's summary of the SF Chronicle's controversial Eichler article and the ensuing mess.
- Unhappy With Eichler
- SFGate, July 29, 2006: "Retro may be cool, but it leaves one woman cold after a stint in a 1954 house in Palo Alto."
- Updated Eichler
- From the Palo Alto Weekly, July 21, 2006: "Elsinore Drive is Eichler territory -- and proud of it."
- They like Eich
- OC Register, June 2006: Couple restore a classic Eichler home to the light, airy space beloved by its visionary creator.
- Joseph Eichler's Bay Area legacy is solid, but time can bring some changes
- SF Gate March 2006: "The cult of Joseph Eichler is a strange and wondrous thing" Some thoughts on a couple of Eichler oddities: Edgewood shopping center in PA and 999 Green St. in SF.
- Morning in an Eichler
- from Mom Writes, a little slice of Eichler living
- My Brahmasthan is more Vedic than yours
- From thisislarry, a discovery that of Vedic architecture and how cool atriums are.
- An Eichler fan? Join the club
- LA Times March 2, 2006: "Steve Eden got more than a place to lay his head when he moved into a midcentury modern house in Thousand Oaks. He got instant friends, a hobby and a new way of life."
- The Eichler and the Ecstacy
- From SFGate.com: "Bay Area's iconic homes still inspire passion, now they've found their way onto the National Register of Historic Places"
- A Rousing Encore for the Eichlers
- LA Times: "Futuristic for the '50s, the classic tract houses with their comfortable, open floor plans have attracted a new generation of fans."
- Eichler Homes
- Pure Contemporary: "Joe Eichler enthusiasts create special network for the care and upkeep of these treasurable modern homes."
- Vanishing Eichlers
- SF Chronicle, June 2000. Great blast from the (recent) past, just before MCM started getting popular again. Including some great Eichler pros and cons.
- Family Circle article on Eichlers via mod*mom
- Vintage article from Family Circle (late 50's or early 60's), via mod*mom. Features a floorplan not unlike mine!
- Eichlers Reborn
- Palo Alto Weekly, 2004: "The 1970s weren't kind to Eichlers. The '80s weren't much better. In their 50 year history they have been stuccoed, texturized, ignored and shingled.But a new breed of Eichler owners is out to change all that."
- The Lost Eichlers of New York
- From the archives of the Eichler Network: "A myth has come to life; there are Eichlers -- all three of them -- in the heart of New York state."
- The Eichler Groupies
- From the Nation Trust's Preservation Online, Jan 2003: Fans of Joseph Eichler's mid-century modern tract houses nominate four of his California subdivisions to the National Register of Historic Places.
- Eichlers in the News (Brisco's links)
- News and articles links from Barry Brisco's website
- Eichler's Visionary Homes Stand as Emblems of His Time
- SF Gate, Sept '99: In 1963, a reporter asked developer Joseph Eichler, "What do you call your homes, contemporary or modern or what?"
- Saving the Eichler aesthetic
- SF Gate, Aug 2006: "Tom Borsellino and his wife, Monika Kafka, lived in a brand-new, large house in a nice neighborhood and hated it. They happily chucked it in favor of an Eichler."
- Helping a midcentury classic fit a 21st century style of living
- SF Gate Aug 2006, "When Tim and Gaynor Brown and their two teenage girls moved to Palo Alto from the United Kingdom for the second time, they knew they wanted to buy an Eichler home"
- Developer who made a difference
- SFGate August, 2006: "Joseph Eichler was a developer with a plan: He wanted to make high-style, modern home design affordable for the masses."
- Curbed SF: God's Little Eichler
- It doesn't happen every day, and that makes it all the more special: finding a remarkably preserved Eichler just sitting there in your email.
- Living an Idealist's dream
- Tracey Taylor, Financial Times (London), February 16, 2007.
"This is California living as we imagine it. It's suburbs with style. And for those in the San Francisco Bay area who have rediscovered the homes of Joseph Eichler, it has become attainable." - Eichler Slideshow
- Slideshow of an updated Eichler, from the website of Sunset Magazine.
Eichlers in Northern California
Northern California Eichler neighborhoods and resources
- The Eichler Network
- A moderated community of Eichler enthusiasts, including Bay Area service providers
- Mike's Eichler Maps page
- "A site to help the do-it-yourselfer like me drive to Eichler neighborhoods and see for himself where they are and what they look like."
- Dura Foam roofing
- Owner Randy Ferriante is an active contributor to the Eichler Network, and a wealth of knowledge about Eichler roofing.
- Eichler for Sale | Eichlers of San Francisco & Marin County
- A new Eichler-Specific site from Rene Adelmann, the real estate agent behind Marin Modern.
Requires registration to see Eichlers for sale - Nil Erdal: Real Estate Agent (South Bay)
- "As a Real Estate Agent specialized in the sale of Eichler homes, my goal is to continue providing superior service to current and prospective Eichler home owners for years to come."
- Jerry Ditto: Real Estate Agent (Peninsula)
- "Eichler Homes Realty, Inc. is the unique undertaking of its owner and founder, Jerry R. Ditto. [co-author of Eichler Homes -Design for Living]."
Jerry's site includes up-to-date listings of available Eichlers on the peninsula and down into the south bay, market data on recent sales, etc. - Diamond Heights Eichler
- From Eichlerforsale.com: Joseph Eichler's first urban development project featured modern single-family homes in the Diamond Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
Eichlers in Southern California
Southern California Eichler neighborhoods and resources
- Welcome to Balboa Highlands
- Balboa Highlands is the only neighborhood in Los Angeles County built by the reknowned Modernist developer, Joseph Eichler
- Eichler Homes of Southern California
- A good resource for Southern California Eichlers, mainly those in the OC.
- Available Eichler Homes (OC)
- Homes on the market in Orange County. From Stephanie Raffel, the real estate agent behind Eichler Homes of Southern California
- Brian Frazier, mortgage broker
- Brian Frazier, mortgage broker, says: "As a mid-century design/architecture enthusiast, I'm working hard to position myself as the premier mortgage provider for Eichler, Cliff May, Alexander, and other Mid-Century home owners."
Eichlers in New York
New York? New York!
- The Lost Eichlers of New York
- "A myth has come to life; there are Eichlers -- all three of them -- in the heart of New York state."
Eichler Chat
bulletin boards, chat rooms, and online communities
- The Chatterbox Lounge
- The Eichler Network BB, a good resource for answering your Eichler maintenance questions, and everything else. Mainly Norcal focused
Note that specific company recommendations are not allowed since they have paid advertisers. - Eichler Web
- An unmoderated community where you can share your stories about purchasing, renovating and living in your wonderful Eichler.
- Lotta Living
- The Lotta Living BB, Eichlers and other modern homes and lifesttyles. Mostly Socal focused.
Eichler Landscaping
beautiful yards around beautiful homes
- Lessons from the landscape: Garden Conservancy tour highlights design ideas
- Marin Independant Journal, May 2006: "The gardens of three Eichler homes, all designed by landscape designer Leslie Patten of EcoScapes, are each given a different feel."
- Sukiya Living
- Interesting piece on gardening and modernist homes: "One influence on [California Style] came from Japan with its simplicity of material that allowed for an easy passage from one living space to another obscuring the barriers between house and garden"
The Eichler Library
Eichler research, history, etc.
- Eichler Archives
- sales brochures, publications, materials lists, info on the architects.
- Eichler Socal Links page
- lots of good links to other Eichler resources
- Joseph Eichler-Symbol of California Design
- Maybe an online paper written by a student at Bryn Mawr?
- Joseph Eichler - Wikipedia
- Wikipedia entry on Joe Eichler, the man with the plan.
- Eichler Design Handbook PDF, Cupertino
- Hadnbook published by the city of Cupertino to help Eichler owners maintain some bit of design intent. Excellent resource to download
- An Eichler Kitchen (museum exhibit)
- An Eichler kitchen mocked-up at the Museum of American heritage, in Palo Alto.
Other Modern Homes links
Cliff Mays, Rummers, and other modern homes.
- Midcentury Modern Homes
- Eichler, Rummer, May. Jones, Emmons, Soriano, Oakland. Mid-Century Modern (aka "MCM") architecture is alive and well across the country.
Inspired by what I've come accross while looking for resources about my Eichler home, I've gathered a collection of resources on MCM tract homes
Most of my Modern Homes links have been moved to this new expanded lens. Enjoy! - Eichler City
- A great general architectural reference: "Although often called "Eichlers" after their best-known builder, contemporaries were built by many companies and have significant differences both in design and quality."
- modern design mania
- a squidoo lens, from the proprietor of Design Public:
"All the modern design online that's fit to print! Enjoy and let me know if I've missed anything. I aim to make this lens a one-stop shop for design fans." - Sukiya living
- Interesting piece on gardening and modernist homes: "One influence on [California Style] came from Japan with its simplicity of material that allowed for an easy passage from one living space to another obscuring the barriers between house and garden"
- Atomic Ranch - Midcentury Marvels
- A new quaterly showcasing early ranch houses and modernist tract homes.
Buying Eichler
Stuff for you and your Eichler
- Eichler Numbers
- "The original Eichler address numbers made a statement about the style and sensitivities of mid-century modern homes."
- Dura Foam Roofing
- Owner Randy Ferriante is an active contributor to the Eichler Network, and a wealth of knowledge about Eichler roofing. They got my business.
- Eichler on Amazon
- Eichler books and other related goodies
- Eichler on Ebay
- Books, decor, whatever
- The Eichler Network Store
- Including the Modern Book Nook, and framed Ernie Braun photos
- Design Within Reach
- DWR. Need I say more?
- Design Public
- Fresh. New. Design.
- CB2
- Contemporary furniture from Crate & Barrel
- IKEA
- Design, truly within reach. Poang is the new Eames Lounge. Trust me.
- Eichler Homes Screensaver
- interesting, eichler images for your mac?
- EichlerStyle | Retro 50s Modern Living : CafePress.com
- "Eichler Style has the coolest retro designs in merchandise with a hip new take on Eichler modern living."
- Modernism Links | Mid-Century Modern | Vintage Modern Resources
- includes good shopping!
Eichler at Amazon
Eichler books and other related goodies
A Quincy Jones
Just got this! Nice volume with lots of Jones's work with Eichler well represented, as well as tons of other stuff.
Western Ranch Houses by Cliff May
a Cliff May book! Just saw this today at the local used book store.
Modern Japanese House
aspirational modern architecure under different cultural norms and space restrictions
Eichler stuff on ebay
Books, decor, whatever.
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
